Between The Sheets - Complete Collection Read online

  She sounded so eager that Brandi couldn’t help laughing. “No, that’s not why I called, but yes, things are moving along in that department.”

  “Wonderful! I couldn’t be happier for you, girl.”

  “Yes, well, don’t get ahead of yourself. We’re taking it one day at a time.”

  “That’s the only way to do it. So, what’s up?”

  Brandi paused a moment. “You know me, Diamond. When I think there’s something I should know, I go for it, even if I’m not sure I’ll like the answer.”

  “Yes, and?”

  “Did you know that Renee and Nick started seeing one another the last year he and I were together?”

  “Uh, what did you say? Because I know I heard you wrong.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Hold on a minute.”

  Listening carefully, Brandi heard a door shut rather loudly and then her friend was back. “Who told you that? Nick? You know you can’t trust anything he might say.”

  “He wasn’t the one who told me. Renee came here, to my office, and announced, as easy as you please, that they were together and have been for two years.”

  “That bitch.” The words were said with such vehemence that Brandi raised her brows in surprise. “Hell no, I didn’t know. You should know that, Brandi.”

  “And I did, but I had to ask. Do you think Lisa knew?”

  “I doubt it, but go ahead and call her. You need to know who your true friends are.”

  “I will. Thanks, Diamond.”

  “No thanks necessary. Friends don’t do that to one another. Clearly, Renee has no concept of loyalty.”

  “I know. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Brandi ended the call, mollified at the anger her friend felt on her behalf. Taking a deep breath, she punched in Lisa’s number. The call went to her voicemail so Brandi left a short message without going into the reason for her call.

  She checked her watch. With a short time left, she went through her contacts list on her laptop, searching for property appraisers since she couldn’t remember whether she’d ever had one as a client. Nothing. Next, she searched for realtors. Besides Renee, two others came up, but they were both referrals from Renee.

  A sudden thought occurred to her and she hit her forehead with the palm of one hand to think she hadn’t considered it earlier.

  Brandi punched in the direct line to her lawyer’s assistant who happily referred her to two appraisers that the law firm used on occasion. The first one wasn’t able to see her for a couple of weeks, as he was going out of town due to a personal emergency. The second, Tyler Dobbs, was able to schedule an appointment with her to appraise the property in two days.

  Just as she hung up, Geoffrey called.

  “Hi, Geoffrey, how’s your day going?”

  “Well, and yours?”

  “Busy, but I knew it would be. I’ve got an appraiser coming to check on the property the day after tomorrow.”

  “Good for you. Nothing has interfered with our plans tonight, has it?”

  “No, we’re still on for seven o’clock.”

  “Alright then. See you later, sweetness.”

  As her workday drew to a close, Brandi wondered for the hundredth time whether leaving the condo was a good idea. It didn’t matter that what Geoffrey said made all the sense in the world. He didn’t know Nick. She didn’t put anything past him.

  As she climbed out of the taxi and took the elevator up to her floor, she mentally prepared herself. At the door, she took a deep breath, unlocked it and entered. An appetizing aroma filled the space. Her mouth watered until she noticed the figure at the stove.

  It was Renee.

  Wearing only Nick’s button down shirt, she stood there stirring something with a wooden spoon, at ease in Brandi’s home.

  Brandi closed the door with a decided snap. Renee didn’t so much as glance over her shoulder, but she could hear Nick’s footsteps approaching. Schooling her features into an expressionless mask, Brandi continued through, ignoring them both, and headed for her bedroom.

  Nick grabbed her arm as she passed. “Hey, Bee, you want to join us for dinner?”

  She jerked free. “No, I do not.”

  “Aw, come on, don’t be like that. We’re all friends here.”

  Brandi bit down hard on her tongue. Nick was just trying to provoke her into some sort of argument. Well, she wasn’t going to fall for it.

  At her bedroom door, she checked to make sure it was still locked. It was.

  After a quick shower, Brandi donned stonewashed skinny jeans and a top with cut out shoulders. She packed her toiletries and cosmetics in a small bag and the outfit she selected to wear the next day in a garment bag. She placed the shoes for work in a plastic bag and added them to the bottom of the garment bag. Her cell phone rang.

  Brandi smiled when she saw Geoffrey’s name on the caller id. “I’m almost ready,” she answered by way of greeting. “I can meet you downstairs in about two minutes.”

  “And a good evening to you, too,” Geoffrey replied, chuckling. “I should be there shortly.”

  “Okay. See you in a bit.”

  Slipping her feet into a pair of flats, she gathered her things and left the room, making sure to lock it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nick and Renee both look up, but again she paid them no mind.

  “Where are you going?”

  Inside, Brandi scoffed.

  “Bee, I asked you a question. Can’t we be civil to one another?”

  Brandi set down her briefcase so she could open the door. She picked it up and stepped out into the hall, letting the door close behind her as she made her way to the elevator.

  “Bee, what’s the deal here?”

  Rolling her eyes, she glared at Nick over her shoulder. “Why are you following me? Shouldn’t you be entertaining your guest?”

  Nick grasped her wrist. “Look, Bee…”

  She cut him off. “You need to take your hand off me. Now.”

  Nick raised his hands and backed off a step. “Okay. We cool. Listen, babe, I’ve missed you. I didn’t realize until I left how important you are to me.”

  “Right. Yet it took a full year for you to make that connection?”

  “After the way I ended things between us, I figured you’d need time to forgive me. But I’m back, babe, I’m here and I want you back.”

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened as Nick finished speaking. Geoffrey stood there and from the look on his face, his tight jaw and clenched fists, Brandi knew he’d heard at least some of what Nick said.

  He stepped off the elevator and into Nick’s face. “You had your chance, little man. Brandi is with me now.”

  “Please let me speak for myself,” Brandi snapped, fed up with the entire situation.

  Facing Nick, she glared at him. “Do you seriously think there’s a possibility you and I could reconnect? You can’t be that clueless.”

  “Nick?” Renee joined them in front of the elevator. “Everything okay?”

  Brandi threw up her hands. Now the debacle was complete. At this point, all she wanted to do was disappear. “Come on, Geoffrey. Let’s just go.”

  Nick stepped toward her, his hand outstretched. “You need proof, right, that I mean what I say?”

  “I need nothing from you. Not one damn thing.” Brandi punched the call button for the elevator several times.

  “You do.” Nick turned to Renee and said to her, “Listen, babe, I was always straight with you. I like you well enough, but there’s no future for us. Brandi has always had my heart.”

  Thankfully, the elevator dinged, the doors opening silently. Brandi stepped into it, Geoffrey following. As the doors closed, she met Renee’s hate-filled stare.

  Typical. Blame her rather than the bastard who’d just embarrassed the hell out of her.

  “Can you believe that guy?” she asked, leaning back against the wall.

  “Actually, I’ve witnessed this scenario time and again, althoug
h the result was different this time.” He spoke the words with deliberate care.

  Brandi frowned up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “The women I’ve seen this happen to did welcome the men back into their lives. I asked one the reason she did that. She told me it was because of the time she had already invested in the relationship. She didn’t want to start over with someone new.”

  “Well, that’s a poor excuse for selling yourself short.”

  He nodded, grave. “I thought so.”

  “Wait a minute,” she said, frowning as she stared up at him. “You didn’t think I would fall for that, did you?”

  “Mostly, no…but, yes, there was the one percent possibility that you might.”

  “No, there wasn’t, but I’ll forgive you for thinking I would be so foolish as to give my heart again to a man who could so easily, and cruelly, walk away. Not to mention the whole screwing my friend behind my back business.

  “Pardon?”

  “That woman? She was someone I called a friend. Yesterday, she came to my office to tell me that she and Nick have been involved for two years, one of which was when he and I were still together.”

  “Oh. Yes, it is a hurtful thing to be betrayed by one you called friend.” Geoffrey took her garment bag and briefcase from her. “Are you all right?”

  She smiled her first real smile since she’d arrived home from work. “Absolutely. Initially, I felt like she had stabbed me in the back, but now I say good riddance. I don’t need someone like that in my life.”

  “And Nick’s profession of his love doesn’t affect you at all?”

  Brandi grinned. “Well, I have to admit, it feels good to think that he regrets leaving in the first place. But just saying the words doesn’t mean they’re true, do they? Probably, it’s more like he doesn’t want to see me involved with anyone else.”

  Silence fell between them as they walked to his truck. He helped her inside after stowing her things in the back seat. He eased himself into the driver’s seat.

  “And you have no feelings for him?” Geoffrey asked once they were on their way. “Not even a little?”

  “Not one bit.”

  He settled back, satisfied, or so it seemed to her.

  It didn’t take long to reach the hotel. Geoffrey parked in the attached garage and, taking her things in hand, led the way to the elevator. His suite was on the fourteenth floor and what a suite it was. Not that she was surprised, the hotel itself holding a rating of five stars. But it was the city view that captured her, the lights sparkling against the dark sky.

  While Geoffrey put away her things, Brandi went out onto the terrace, leaning against the railing and letting the peace of the night soak into her.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting her musings. Brandi reluctantly turned away from the view and went inside just as Geoffrey answered the door.

  “Hi, Geoffrey, are you busy?”

  Brandi’s brows rose at the distinctly feminine voice. Refusing to show just how much it bothered her, she took a seat on the sofa.

  “Yes I am, in fact. I have a special guest I’m entertaining tonight.”

  “Oh, may I meet her? This is the lady for whom you turned down my invitation to join me for an after dinner drink in my suite, correct?”

  Brandi rolled her eyes.

  Geoffrey turned and met her eyes. “Sweetness, can you come here for a minute?”

  She must’ve made her thoughts known, because Geoffrey opened the door wider. “Please come in.”

  “You are such a gentlemen, Geoffrey.”

  Brandi narrowed her eyes on the woman who was openly flirting with him as though she hadn’t seen her sitting on the sofa.

  “Impressed upon me by my parents,” he explained with a smile. “Shelly Buckman, may I present my ladylove, Brandi Rafferty. Brandi, Shelly is my neighbor across the hall.”

  “Oh,” exclaimed Shelley, her hands to her cheeks. “I can’t believe this. We share an acquaintance, Brandi.”

  Brandi merely asked, “Do we?”

  “Yes. Nick. Nick Everett.” She gave Geoffrey a sidelong glance. “Do you know him, too?”

  “We’ve met.”

  “Oh.” She looked back and forth between Geoffrey and Brandi. “Oh! Wow, this is awkward.”

  Brandi shrugged. “Not for me.”

  Geoffrey gestured to the door. “Well, if you’ll excuse us, Shelly.”

  “Oh, okay. It was a pleasure meeting you, Brandi.”

  After showing the woman out, Geoffrey came and stood before her, arms crossed as he stared down at her. Brandi snickered. He chuckled and soon they were rolling on the sofa, laughing uncontrollably. Only the ringing of her cell phone managed to interrupt.

  Still giggling, Brandi answered, only afterwards realizing she didn’t check the caller ID.

  “Ms. Rafferty?”

  Her laughter fading at the unfamiliar voice, she replied, “Yes. Who is this?”

  “This is Clark, the concierge. You should get back here.”

  She straightened. “What is it, Clark? What’s wrong?”

  “There’s been a fire in your place. The police need to speak with you.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “What is it?” asked Geoffrey, following her lead and preparing to leave.

  “There’s been a fire at my place.”

  “Was anyone hurt?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

  They hurried out, waiting impatiently at the elevator.

  “See?” Brandi blurted out. “This is why I should’ve stayed at the condo. I knew Nick couldn’t be trusted.”

  “Do not jump to conclusions. Just wait until you have all the facts.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, Geoffrey. That is my home that’s on fire, not yours.” She slapped a hand against the wall. “If I’d stayed at the condo, this probably would not have happened.”

  “You do not know that for certain.”

  “Which is why I used the word ‘probably,’” she stated with sarcasm.

  The doors opened and they entered, the tension silence filling the elevator and following them into truck. She didn’t want to talk, afraid of what else she might say in her anger.

  “Let me out in front,” Brandi said without looking at him.

  Geoffrey ground his teeth, but he did as she’d asked. Not that he had a choice. In her current mood, the woman could as easily curse him out and tell him to get lost as she would that Nick guy.

  He parked in the first open space and took the stairs up to the first floor two at a time. As was to be expected, the lobby was crowded with police, firemen and the residents who would have had to evacuate the building. They must now be allowed back in, but the curious ones would no doubt wait around to find out all they could.

  Pushing his way through the crowd as polite as he could manage, he searched for Brandi, but there was no sign of her in the lobby. Making his way to the elevator, he waited with very little patience for its arrival. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long. In very short order, he strode rapidly to her condominium, the door of which was ajar. Not bothering to knock, he pushed it open and entered. Brandi stood in the middle of the living room speaking with a policeman.

  She saw him, her gaze flicking over him for less than a second. Not caring, he went and stood next to her. The policeman glanced at him with no little curiosity.

  “And you are?”

  “Geoffrey Rasmussen, Brandi’s friend. We were having dinner when she received the call.”

  The policeman nodded and brought him up to date. “The fire began in Ms. Rafferty’s room in a trash can filled with paper. As she’s informed me that she doesn’t smoke nor has she had any use for matches or lighter, we will investigate this as a suspicious fire. Who else lives here?”

  “Nick Everett is co-owner of the property. When I left, he and his friend, Renee Jinn, were making dinner for themselves. My room, on the other hand, should’ve been locked and can only be opened wi
th a key.”

  “Why would you need a keyed lock on your bedroom door?”

  “Because we’re roommates and I value my privacy. Additionally, Nick and I have a past. I don’t trust him, but until ownership of the condominium is resolved, we both have equal right to the property.”

  The policeman nodded and indicated that they should follow him. “I want to check the door to see if it’s been jimmied.”

  Amazed at the number of people throughout the condo, Geoffrey found just getting through the crowd challenging. By the time he caught up with Brandi, the policeman had already checked the door.

  “Just as you suspected, the door was forced open,” he was saying. “Let the forensics people do their jobs. If there’s any evidence to find, they’re the ones to do it.”

  “Do you have Nick and Renee detained?” Brandi asked in a controlled tone.

  The policeman shook his head. “We took their statements and let them go for now. That could change, of course, once we see what the investigation reveals. Once forensics concludes, you’ll need to go in and let us know what valuables have been taken, if any. Most likely, that won’t be until the morning. For now, it would be best if you slept somewhere else. We’ll station a policeman here so you don’t have to worry about anything else for now.”

  Brandi held herself stiffly, her arms folded across her chests. Geoffrey longed to take her into his arms, but feared she might lash out at him again. Instead, he laid a hand lightly on the small of her back and gestured for her to accompany him. After another look around her room, which had been trashed, she glanced up at him and nodded.

  ___

  Furious. The red haze coated her insides, raged through her body so that she shook with it. When would she learn? She was the only one competent to make decisions about her life. Yet she kept letting other people convince her to do something other than what she knew to do.

  “You have to respect that I have reasons for the decisions I make,” she said to Geoffrey. The words burst from her, driven by a caustic mix of emotion.

  “And you need to respect that I only have your best interests at heart. You should trust me, Brandi. You know well enough that I mean you no harm.”

  “That’s not the point!” She yelled the words, punctuating them with a punch. Brandi shook her head. “Look, I really need for you to take me to Diamond’s place. Right now, I’d just rather not be with you.”